Cap for collapsible tubes



March 17, 1931. Rv HARDING, JR 1,796,785

CAP FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBES Filed Oct. l9 1925 -lll-IIIIIH? `illlllllllllllllllllllVI" I'I t im I M ENVENTOR Patented Mar. 17, 1931 ROBERT EAIRDING, JR.. F BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY CAI FOR COLLAIPSIBLE TUBES Application led October 19, 1925. Serial No. 63,219.

the caps have been made to screw on the topA of the dispensing nozzle so that it Was necessary to unscreW and remove the cap before using the paste. Also the convenient Way to apply the paste upon a tooth brush, for

A10 instance, was to grasp the tube near the dispensing nozzle to guide the paste as it came from the tube. Thus the tube was squeezed p near the'nozzle which often resulted in a broken tube before the contents of the tube was gone.

It is one of the objects of my invention to provide a cap for collapsible tubes which can not be removed from the tube.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap" for collapsible tubes which will vallow the tube to be grasped near the nozzle thereof Without squeezing the tube at this point.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cap for collapsible tubes which will accurately measure the paste so that a predetermined amount may be ejected at each time the tube is used.

A further object of the invention is to provide a non-removable measuring cap for collapsible tubes which is simple, easily and chaply made, and easily attached to the tu e.

, Other objects of the invention will be seen as the description of the invention proceeds.

In the drawings: 'Fig 1 is an elevational view of a cap ernbodying my invention;

40 Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the upper portion of a tube upon which the cap shown in Fig. 1 is adapted to fit;

i Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the cap and tube With a portion broken away forthe sake of clearness;

Fig. 4 is a'planview of the cap;

- Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the cap and the tube taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3

Fig. y=6 is a plan view of the neck of the tube; and

Fig. 7 is an assembled view showing the manner of using the tube.

Referring more specifically to the draW-. ings:

The tube, 10, is provided with a cylindrical neck, 11, having a relatively small hole, 12, in the top thereof. A cap, 13, is adapted to fit slidably over the neck, 11, and is provided l at its'` upper end with an extended nozzle, 14, through which is an orifice, 15, of the size and shape of the cross-section of the strip of aste, 16, which it is desired to dispense from the tube.' The. upper edge of the orifice, 15, is flush Wit-h the inner top wall of the cap so that when the cap is pushed down over the neck as shown in Fig. 5, the orifice is completely closed by the neck, 11, of the tube, 10.

The neck, 11, is provided on its sides with one or more bayonet grooves, 17, and after the cap, 13, is placed on the neck, 11, portions, 18, of the sides of the cap are pressed into the bayonet grooves to retain the cap upon the neck, 11, but at thc same time to allovvr a limit-ed longitudinal movement of the cap and to permit locking the cap against longitudinal movement when the cap is turned so that the internal projections, 18, lie in that part of the bayonet grooves, 17, which form the legs, 19.

The cap may be provided with milled rings, 13a, to offer a better surface with which to grasp the cap to turn it into the locking position or to unlock it.

The operation of the cap is as follows:

n The tube is grasped in one hand near its bottom end and the cap, 13, is given a slight turn with the other hand so that the projec tions, 18,4 are free to move into the upper portions of the grooves, 17. Then the cap is pulled out and at the same time the tube is s ueezed near its bottom. This forces a portion of the paste or other ingredients of the tubo through the hole, 12, in thetop of the neck, 11, into the cap, 13. The tube is then grasped in the manner indicated in Fig. 7, and the cap is forced down over the neck of the tube with the finger. This forces the paste, held in the cap, out through the orifice, 15, in a strip, 16, as shown in Fig. 7. When the cap has been pressed all the Way d-own over the neckof the tube the orifice, 15, is closed'and the cap need only be turned slightly to lock it in this closed position on the neck of the tube. The hole, 12, is made relatively .small so that when thecap is pressed down the paste will liow out of the oriice, 15, in the cap and not back-'into the tu e.

It will thus be seen that the squeezing operation of the tube takes place before the paste is forced therefrom, and hence the tube may be valways squeezed at the end farthest from the nozzle so that the upper part of the tube may be'k-ept intact, as very little pressing of the tube is necessary to hold the tube while forcing the paste from the cap, and the danger of breaking the tube by constant squeezing at a place adjacent the neck thereof is thereby eliminated.

It will also be evident that the cap may be made to hold an exact predetermined amount of paste so that at each dispensing operation of the tube thesame amount of paste will be ejected therefrom. Thus with this invention the amount of tooth paste, for instance, needf ed to properly cleanse the teeth -may be determined in the laboratory and the cap-made the proper size so that just the necessary amount will always be used.

A measuring dispensing cap constructed in this manner is not only simple and' easy to make but it is easily assembled. The cap need only be placed on the neck of the tube and then pressure applied at two points on the side thereof/over the grooves on the neck and the cap and tube are assembled.

Many embodiments of the dispensing cap other than that illustrated may be resorted to wlthoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and I do 'not therefore desire to limit myself to the exact embodiment shown and described but to interpret the invention broadly within the scope of the'appended claims. 4 Y

lI claim:

In a collapsible tube measuring dispensing device the combination of a neck, a cap having an opening in the side near the top thereof and slidably mounted on said neck, means to retain said'cap upon said neck and against angular displacement with respect thereto but permitting limited recip' 3. In a collapsible tube measuring dispensj y mounted on said neck,

ing device a neck integral with said tubel having a relatively small hole in the top thereof and bayonet grooves in the sides thereof, a cap rotatably and slidably mounted'on said neck to prevent angular displacement with respect thereto and having an openingin the side near the top thereof, and projections on the inner wall of said cap engaging with the bayonet grooves in said neck whereby said cap may be reciprocated on said neck or locked in its lowermost position thereon.

4. In a collapsible tube measuring dispensing device, a neck integral with said tube and having a relatively small hole in the top and bayonet grooves in the sides thereof, a cap rotatably and slidably mounted on sald neck aga-inst axial angular displacement with-re-Y spect thereto, a nozzle integral with said cap and near the top thereof, and projections on the inner sides of said cap engaging with the bayonet grooves in said neck whereby-said v`cap may be reciprocated on said neck and locked in its lowermost position thereon.

5. A dispensing device for collapsible tubes comprising two relatively movable parts, one of which is a cylinder and the other a plunger therefor, and one of said parts being integral with a collapsible tube and having an opening communicatlng'with the interior thereof to permit said cylinder to be filled with the ingredients of said tube, and said cylinder having an opening therem whereby the contents of said cylinder may be ejected when said plunger is forced into said cylinder, said plunger being adapted to close said openings when it is forced completely into said cylinder, and means to lock said plunger in said last mentioned position.

' In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signatureto this s ecification.

OBERT HARDING, Jn. 

